== WHATEVER THEY CALL IT - IT IS IGNORANCE ==
Namaskar,
These days, most in Ananda Marga know that party politics is not good -
even then a few advocate "unity" by joining various groups.
These few persons may think this is the way to bring unity, and they
call it unity, but in reality merging various factions is nothing but
their misunderstanding or ignorance.
We should investigate the how's and why's surrounding this misconception
of unity as well as the true and proper way to create unity in our Marga.
WHY PARTY POLITICS IS NOT GOOD
We should always remember that whenever party politics is in vogue, then
compromises abound.
Thus when party politics and groupism are the essentially the same exact
thing, then the arrival of groupism means the the watering down and loss
of AM ideology. Groupism and AM ideology cannot exist side by side. One or the
other has to go.
Because like party politics, groupism means adhering to an agenda that is not
AM ideology - some other selfish endeavor is operating. In that case groups begin
making deals to satisfy their agenda, not AM ideology.
It is just like when two parties in a political system are involved in talks about
building a new road. The aim is not to serve the society, but rather to look good
so they can stay in power. In that case, each political party will haggle to
try and get the best deal for their team. One will say, "Give us the road then
we will support your tax increase", and the other side will respond, "We will support
your road construction but not only must you support our new tax bill, but you must
not expose Governor Johnson for embezzling from the state."
This is the way their talks evolve in party politics - not towards truth but
towards selfish ends. The same is the case with groupism. All groups want to come
into power - end of story. And to that end so many back door deals and scamming will
occur.
So regardless of whether people think that unity can arise from merging two or
more groups together, the fact is that unity will never occur that way. It is
their ignorance to think so because unity only results from ideology. And ideology cannot
exist is groupism is present.
Thus creating unity by merging various factions is a lost cause.
PARTY POLITICS LEADS TO DIVISION AND DISASTER
There are so many evidences where the party system has ruined a land.
There are obvious examples such as the bloody massacres in Kenya and
Zimbabwe a few years ago after their respective democratic elections.
Then there are more subtle approaches such as in the US where things
look civilised yet an entire nation of people have become slaves to the
capitalist corporate structure. People may say they have freedom and
unity in the US, but the truth is that all are at the mercy of top
vaeshyas. That is where their cherished bipartisan system has led them.
Each party fights for power, makes compromises and back door deals, and
in the end the welfare of the people is compromised.
Unity is never established - not in Kenya, the US, Sweden, nor the
Phillippines - not anywhere.
So we should be wary and vigilant about not letting any type of groupist
or party rule come into vogue in our Marga. Although, since 1990 this
has basically occurred through brawn and power, we should not let this
party system become normal in our eyes.
Today, most in our Marga think that groupism is bad. So we should not
let a few let us believe that a merger of various groups is viable way
towards unity. All that will do is validate groupism and invite this
poison deeper into the fabric of our Marga.
AM IS A WAY OF LIFE; IT IS NOT LIKE A NATION
To establish unity and the real Ananda Marga in AMPS, we must adhere to
Baba's teachings.
We are not like some country where all all live within those borders yet
engage in a diverse array of lifestyle practices and beliefs. Within the
US, there are so many religions yet all are considered American. Within
Brasil, there are so many types political parties, yet all are
Brasilians. Within Germany, there are so many ways of eating, yet all
are Germans.
Our Marga is not like that. We are not bound together by such
superficial ties such as government leadership or political affiliation
or geographic boundaries.
Ours is a lifestyle. That is what makes us Ananda Margiis: We all live
by the tenets as given by our Guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.
Thus even if a so-called unity is created by merging various factions,
and they impose their own agendas, that will not be Ananda Marga. Our
Marga cannot be manifested by back-door deals or party agendas. That
will never bring about the establishment or unity of AM.
Because AM is not about existing under a particular leadership or group.
It is a way of life as given by Guru. That is Ananda Marga.
If Christians or Muslims were to invade our jagrtis and gain control, we
could not then say they have they have taken over AM. Because their
entire manner has nothing to do with Ananda Marga.
Same is the case if groupists come to power in AM. The merging of
various groups - each with their own dogmatic agendas - can never serve
as establishment of Ananda Marga.
Again, the vast majority of margiis and wts understand this well. Only
there are a few pockets of persons who feel that merging the various
groups will bring unity in AM. But unity can never result by mixing together
different dogmas like Fake Ananda Vaniis and crude tiirtha programs.
Unity only results from following the dharma of AM.
BRINGING REAL UNITY
Here Baba clearly shows us how to bring real unity - and it has nothing
to do with partisan control or bipartisan leadership.
Baba says, "Human unity is purely an ideological unity, which means
unity in the psychic sphere. Where there is psychic unity, physical
unity will also occur. In the realm of unity, unity is always psychic –
ideological unity means unity in the subtlest level of the mind." (PNS-15)
Baba says, "Along with the theory of spiritual inheritance, one Cosmic
ideology will have to be propagated too, and that ideology is that one
Supreme Entity the Cosmic Entity is the goal of all living beings. This
spiritual sentiment will keep human beings united for all time to come.
No other theory can save the human race." (TTP)
Baba says, "To establish unity, the society will have to select an
ideology which remains unassailed by any spatial, temporal or personal
differences. That is why only Cosmic ideology will have to be adopted as
the polestar of life." (POD #37)
According to Baba, the only way to bring true unity is by rallying
around one divine ideology, i.e. Ananda Marga ideology.
No mixing or matching of groupist agendas can bring unity. To think in
this way is mere ignorance. A few may claim this is the pathway to
unity, but they will never get unity by this approach. Just they will
get the pervasive, unending power politics and demise that are rampant
in every nation, from Russia, to the US, to India. Let this not be the
fate of our Marga.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, He has blessed all with the understanding that AM
ideology is the panacea for the humanity and it is His teachings that
have to be established in our Marga, not any type of groupist leadership
or mixing thereof. Only His teachings are needed to bring unity and by
that way naturally the right people will emerge as leaders.
Baba says, "A correct spiritual ideology is the only solution to the
problems confronting the world. From this perspective we can call Ananda
Marga ideology the philosophers’ stone. Just as the philosophers’ stone
is meant to transform everything into gold, Ananda Marga ideology can,
most definitely, find a just and rational solution whenever it is
applied to any problem." (POD #36)
Namaskar,
Pradiip
Note 1: HOW AND WHY PEOPLE ARE PRONE TO THE PARTY SYSTEM
- Part 1 -
First off, let us remember two common human traits are (a) to follow
certain leaders and (b) to emulate what they see going on around them.
Just as birds automatically fly behind their designated leader, most
people do the same. A prominent politician puts forth a particular
platform - whether it be a war effort or labor law - and then so many
people get mobilized into action. Supporters and advocates begin to feel
this is their plan. They may even feel it was their idea from the
get-go, and that they are leading the effort. The truth however is that
this plan was implanted in their mind by someone else - by their leader.
And then they and others copied it and adopted it as their own.
Indeed, in every democratic nation, party politics works in this way. A
designated leader brews up a proposal and convinces party strategists.
Then the general party members promptly support the platform, and in a
short time millions of citizens become supporters. This is the way
things work. People follow the leader.
Similarly, when any group leader in AM says, "Come join our team we are
going to bring glory to Ananda Marga, this is the way to unity", then a
few people are enticed and join up. They think they are taking rational
action spurred on by their own intellect, but in reality they have been
lulled into someone leader's faulty plan.
Of course it should also be recognised that in comparison to the general
public, Ananda Margiis have a far more developed sense of vivek
(discrimination). That is why only a few get fooled into following
groupist leaders, whereas in the general society, millions get duped
into following xyz type of leaders.
Nonetheless, this is one reason why groupism has come into vogue in AM
and this is one reason why a few feel that following this or that
groupist agenda - or even merging various groupist plans - will bring unity.
Note 2: HOW AND WHY PEOPLE ARE PRONE TO THE PARTY SYSTEM
- Part 2 -
Here is another reason why a few in AM have fallen prey to the groupist
game plan of party politics.
Human beings are greatly affected by their environment. The clothes they
see others wearing, they also wear. The movies that are popular in town,
they also see. And the way governments are organised, they also copy.
Thus when democracy is in vogue and the two or three party system is
evident in so many leading nations, then a few people in AM accept this
as being the way to go. They feel there is no other option than this
party system. Because this is what they see all around them. Even when
Guru has openly denounced party politics, still a few get grossly
affected by their surroundings and preach that as the way to unity.
In this way, partisanship, bipartisanship, and tripartisanhip have been
brought into AM and become more or less acceptable. That is why a few
people regularly raise the point that unity should be created by merging
together leaders from the various groups. They say, "Let there be a
compromise of their various agendas, let them share the power, and let
there be a joining of the leading factions."
But by this way, our Marga will just be a combination of different
groupist dogmas. Margii rights will be demolished, the BP system will be
in shambles, scriptural distortions will be rampant, and so many issues
and problems will pervade our Marga. Each group will be putting for
their own game plan like the dogmatic Mahaprayan, Fake BP manuals, and
the wrongful publication of Baba's discourses such as the distortion
done to AM Revolution.
Plus, behind closed doors, each group will always be gunning to
eradicate the other group or groups in order to gain complete power and
total control. That will be their chief aim in this type of so-called
unity, not the establishment of AM ideology.
This is the inevitable way that the party system (i.e. groupism)
manifests itself in any land. There are no shortages of examples.
So this party approach is not our way. We should neither fall prey to
the follow the leader mentality as happens in the general society nor
get colored by the current political milieu of democracy.
We should be vigilant about this and always remember that just as party
politics or bipartisanship has never brought unity or stability to any
place, it will never ever bring unity into AM.
Note 3: WE MUST BE WARY
Accepting groupism on any level is not a joke.
Meat-eaters feel that there is nothing wrong with eating meat; they feel
it is normal. Homosexuals feel that there is nothing wrong with their
way; they feel it is normal. Gang member feel that there is nothing
wrong with joining a gang, they feel it is normal. Drug users feel there
is no problem with doing drugs, they feel it is normal.
Similarly, advocates of party politics feel that there is nothing wrong
with the party system, they feel it is normal.
The underlying reason is that such persons are submerged in that type of
behavior and that has become all they know in this world. So they think
it is fine.
Tragically now, a few feel that that existence of various groups is okay
and should be accepted in AM. That is why they propose unity by merging
the policies and programs of these groups, rather than wiping out
groupism entirely.
But let it be known - and already most understand this - that unity can
never be achieved by the back-door deals of bipartisan rules, where each
group watches out for their own agenda and the care of the common people
is lost and forgotten.
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Uniqueness of Ta'raka Brahma
Baba says, "A Maha'kaola is one who makes others kaola by his infallible
spiritual guidance. But Ta'raka Brahma is a different Entity, a unique
Entity for He is the spiritual preceptor, social preceptor, Kaola, and
Maha'kaola, all in one. He is also something more: He acts as a compass
in every stratum of society." (NKS, '97 Edn, p.50)
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